Now Reading: BJD seeks 30-day extension for voter roll claims in flood-hit Odisha
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BJD seeks 30-day extension for voter roll claims in flood-hit Odisha
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday urged the Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha to extend the claims and objections period under the summary revision of electoral rolls (SIR-2026) by at least 30 days due to flooding and continuous heavy rain across the state. The party argued that the natural calamity has made it impossible for thousands of electors, booth level agents and officials to complete verification and submission of claims.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) had already moved the deadline from August 4 to August 19, 2026. The BJD pointed out that as of July 21, hearings had been completed in only 1.42 lakh cases out of over 58.36 lakh notices issued, and over 20 lakh Form 7 applications for deletion of names had been reported. Closing the process on August 19, the party warned, could deprive genuine electors of their right to be heard.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Odisha’s electoral roll revision (SIR-2026) is a statutory exercise tied to the final voters’ list before the next assembly polls. The BJD’s core concern is procedural: the ECI had already extended the claims period once from August 4 to August 19. However, with over 58 lakh notices issued and barely 1.42 lakh hearings completed by July 21, the pending workload is immense. Floods now make it physically impossible for officials and electors in affected districts like Balasore, Kendrapara and Jajpur to participate. If the deadline holds, thousands risk being wrongly deleted or omitted from the roll. The ECI’s decision on a second extension will signal how it weighs statutory timelines against ground realities in a disaster-hit state. Watch for an order before August 19.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
